Lipids Part 2

Lipids play critical roles in membrane structure, cell signaling, energy storage, control of inflammation, and as base units for constructing messenger hormones. Sterols are naturally occurring unsaturated steroid alcohols, waxy lipids. The primary sterol for human metabolism is cholesterol, which is the base unit for all hormone production and vitamin D. Cholesterol is also an important component of cell membrane structure. Most endogenous cholesterol is synthesized by the liver, but dietary cholesterol can influence total cholesterol levels. Foods rich in cholesterol are of animal origin: fats from animal milk, meat, egg yolk, poultry, seafood, and organ meats. Fat-soluble vitamins have many metabolic roles. Their influence on structural integrity and defense and repair (e.g., inflammation and immune response) modulates the lipid environment and metabolic dynamics. The fat-soluble vitamins function synergistically, with the vitamin D and A receptors sharing their nuclear receptor, influencing each other. Vitamin D2/3 and A are found in their food-rich sources together (e.g., liver, caviar, /roe, egg yolk). Here is a list of lipid-supportive foods, gerbs, and dietary supplements: whole foods, avocado, raw seeds, olives, hearts of palm, macadamia nuts, pine nuts, almonds, brazil nuts, coconut oil, organ meats, meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, roe, krill, turmeric, resveratrol, boswellia, proteolytic enzymes: bromelain, papain, trypsin, evening primrose oil, black currant, EPA/DHA from algae, with co-nutrients (you need these to help absorb) of vitamin C/B, zinc, and magnesium. Lipids are the molecular components that comprise the lipidome—the complete lipid profile within the membrane, cell, tissue, or organism. The lipidome is in the dynamic metabolism of life expressing the genetic information in the DNA book of life. Damage to the cellular structure can result in a multitude of dysfunctions. Dietary and lifestyle choices can influence the overall health of our bodies down to the structure of our cell membranes. Maintaining a diet full of nutrients such as essential omega-3s and omega-6s, and even cholesterol, can help structurally stabilize our cell membranes as well as reduce the susceptibility to leakage of beneficial nutrients out of the cell. Cholesterol is a vital component of all biological membranes. In fact, cholesterol is the most abundant type of lipid in our membranes, accounting for 30–50% of the lipid molecules. In addition to providing stability, cholesterol also plays a vital role in protecting the cell membrane from nutrients that we consume that could be harmful to the cell. Such drugs that are intended to target membranes include, but are not limited to, antipsychotics, antitumoral drugs, antidepressants, tranquilizers, antihistamines, antifungals, and analgesics. As these drugs interact with the membrane, they cause it to lose stability, making it susceptible to compression and leakage. In addition to amphiphilic drugs, ethanol-based alcohols can also have a detrimental effect on the lipid bilayers of our membranes. However, cholesterol can help protect our membranes from damage due to medication and alcohol consumption.

 Integrative and Functional Medical Nutrition Therapy by: Diane Noland, Jeanne A. Drisko, Leigh Wagner

Lipids Part 1

Lipids are highly diverse molecules that are as important for life as proteins and genes with critical roles in membrane structure, cell signaling, energy storage, inflammation regulation, and as base units for constructing messenger hormones. The two functions of the lipids that can be modulated by nutrition therapy are membrane structure and inflammation control. The membrane structure is at least 50–75% lipids with embedded protein structures forming receptors, channels, and other structures. “You are what you eat.” What fats and oils and sterols you eat become the structural composition of your membranes and influence their function of cell signaling, communication, and transport. Inflammation control: The lipid eicosanoid molecules play a key role in our survival. They are the primary metabolites teaming with the immune system to manage the immune response and control inflammation. Cholesterol is essential to life by providing the base unit for production of hormones, neurological cells (neurons, myelin, brain tissue, etc.), bile, and others. As with all natural components of the chemical body, each cholesterol molecule has multiple functions. Each function depends on the balance of the amount of cholesterol deposited in the cell membranes. This balance is foundational to optimized cell function and may be related to compromised metabolism when cholesterol is too low. Hypocholesterolemia is total cholesterol <120–150 mg/dL. On the low-end of the spectrum, hypocholesterolemia is associated with increased incidence of mood disorders like depression, as well as cancer, and sepsis. Deficiency of Omega-6 could look like eczema, dermatitis, GERD, and Viral infections. Deficiency of EPA, DHA, LA, and ALA could look like altered mood and skin health, cardiovascular issues and cancer. One of our fat-soluble vitamins, Vitamin D, has many functions. It is a powerful immune modulator that plays a role in defense and repair. Vitamin A, another fat-soluble vitamin, is increasingly recognized in experimental and human studies to enable suppression of inflammatory reactions and plays a significant role in normal mucosal immunity, regulation of T cell-dependent responses, antiviral activity, and cell communication. Adequate vitamin A status, whether from intake of preformed retinol (e.g., animal sources: egg yolk, organ meats, fish, shellfish, and roe) or from b-carotene (e.g., yellow and green vegetables) is important for preventing excessive or prolonged inflammatory reactions and supporting the eicosanoid cascade.

Integrative and Functional Medical Nutrition Therapy by: Diane Noland, Jeanne A. Drisko, Leigh Wagner